Training or Cooperation?

What Do You Think When I Say the Word “Training”?

What do you think of when I say the word training? I ask this question to my clients every time I meet them for coaching. The answers vary, of course — but one thing remains constant. Hidden underneath those answers is an unspoken assumption we’re often not even aware of:

We want to train because we want something to change or improve in our dog’s behaviour.

And that’s okay. This is deeply human. As humans, we subconsciously operate from expectations — ideas of how life should be, how situations should unfold, and how animals should behave. Since we share our personal space with our dogs, we naturally expect cooperation.

That expectation, in itself, isn’t wrong. But let’s zoom out for a moment.

Learning vs. Living

In school, the focus is on learning — primarily learning how to survive financially in today’s world. And yes, that matters. But it’s only a small slice of what contributes to our happiness and our lived experience on this planet. We can earn well, and that certainly enhances life. But alongside that, we also need to learn how to coexist — with others, with our environment, and with ourselves. This is where dogs come in.

Why Do We Really Have Dogs?

Most people don’t bring dogs into their lives for security. They do it for companionship. So the foundation of the relationship is meant to enhance our experience of life. Yet, over time, something subtle happens: our expectations begin to tangle with that experience. What started as a connection slowly turns into correction.

A Simple Perspective Shift

Let me ask you something. If I approached you with the core thought, “I want to change something about you,” how would you react?

Now imagine instead I said: “I want to understand you first — and then help you understand me.”

How willing would you be to cooperate? Dogs are no different.

Rethinking Training

Training is neither good nor bad. What truly matters is how you do it.

Your level of involvement in any activity influences not only your own satisfaction, but also the experience of everyone around you — including your dog.

So today, I invite you to reconsider the word training altogether.

Trade it in for this question instead:

How can this be so enjoyable for my dog that they choose to do it willingly with me?

That’s where cooperation lives.

That’s where the connection begins.

— Sam

P.S. Let us know your thoughts.